FORTKEY LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC192180 · ltd · incorporated 1998-12-23
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
78/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 78/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: low (54/100)

Sparse data coverage. Treat AI-generated outputs as preliminary. Manual diligence essential.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 6 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
75 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
78/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-01-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-01-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-11-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-02-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  5. 2021-08-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2019-11-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2018-11-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2017-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2017-01-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  11. 2016-01-19
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  12. 2015-12-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2015-01-15
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  14. 2014-10-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  15. 2014-01-06
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2012-10-09
    ➖
    DAWSON, Vanessa Jane resigned
    secretary
  17. 2012-10-09
    ➖
    DAWSON, Vanessa Jane resigned
    director
  18. 2012-10-09
    ➖
    HOLT, Andrew David resigned
    director
  19. 2012-01-16
    ➕
    MASON, Allison appointed
    director
  20. 2010-10-22
    ➕
    HOLT, Andrew David appointed
    director
  21. 2010-06-26
    ➖
    RUDD, Wayne resigned
    director
  22. 2008-05-01
    ➖
    LINNETT, Brenda Margaret resigned
    director
  23. 2008-05-01
    ➖
    LINNETT, Laurence Michael resigned
    director
  24. 2008-05-01
    ➕
    RUDD, Wayne appointed
    director
  25. 2004-12-22
    ➕
    DAWSON, Vanessa Jane appointed
    secretary
  26. 2004-12-22
    ➖
    LINNETT, Brenda Margaret resigned
    secretary
  27. 2004-12-22
    ➕
    DAWSON, Vanessa Jane appointed
    director
  28. 1999-01-25
    ➕
    LINNETT, Brenda Margaret appointed
    secretary
  29. 1999-01-25
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 1999-01-25
    ➕
    LINNETT, Brenda Margaret appointed
    director
  31. 1999-01-25
    ➕
    LINNETT, Laurence Michael appointed
    director
  32. 1999-01-25
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  33. 1998-12-23
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As FORTKEY LIMITED
  34. 1998-12-23
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  35. 1998-12-23
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

83/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

78/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 14 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 27 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Allison Mason
Individual · British · DOB 05/1968 · age 58
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1998-12-23
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC72190 — Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering

Registered office

Unit 3 6c Bankhead Crossway North
Edinburgh
Midlothian
EH11 4BP

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-06
Last: 2025-12-23

Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)

MASON, Allison→
director · ~58y · appointed 2012-01-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DAWSON, Vanessa Jane→
secretary · appointed 2004-12-22 · resigned 2012-10-09
Resigned
LINNETT, Brenda Margaret→
secretary · appointed 1999-01-25 · resigned 2004-12-22
Resigned
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1998-12-23 · resigned 1999-01-25
Resigned
DAWSON, Vanessa Jane→
director · ~55y · appointed 2004-12-22 · resigned 2012-10-09
Resigned
HOLT, Andrew David→
director · ~67y · appointed 2010-10-22 · resigned 2012-10-09
Resigned
LINNETT, Brenda Margaret→
director · ~81y · appointed 1999-01-25 · resigned 2008-05-01
Resigned
LINNETT, Laurence Michael→
director · ~80y · appointed 1999-01-25 · resigned 2008-05-01
Resigned
RUDD, Wayne→
director · ~60y · appointed 2008-05-01 · resigned 2010-06-26
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1998-12-23 · resigned 1999-01-25
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (75 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2026-01-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-01-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-11-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-02-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-01-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-08-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-03-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-01-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2019-11-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-01-04